Think of SIPs as an Oreo (or, preferably, the lesser-known but more delicious original Hydrox). Also, having dealt with in our last house virulent mold issues and a dank, camel cricket–ridden basement that seasonally required either a pith helmet or a HAZMAT suit, SIPs offered peace of mind for the long-term health of the house and health of our respiratory systems. Like the hybrid car, the SIPs house maximizes resources and makes you feel just a little better about your carbon footprint.
While climate change naysayers believe greenhouse gases don’t matter out there in the troposphere, progressive minds are reining-in environmental excesses down here in our own abodes. “It costs a tiny bit more,” says Fitchett of the construction method, “but it pays for itself within two to three years.” Overall, you’re looking at a 5- to 10-percent increase up front, “but,” he says, “you’ll save on your heating and cooling costs for decades.” So tight, in fact, that SIP houses need to breathe they use their HVAC systems to inhale fresh air and exhale stale air. Between these 2-by-4-inch lumber studs, however, there’s a lot of empty space where heat and air conditioning spill out like waste water, except it’s made of money. Traditional wood-frame homes are built out of sticks (wood) and nails.
The Fitchett family launched ODI in 2010 and started following from day one the EarthCraft guidelines: a LEED-like epistemology that saves energy and water while improving indoor air quality. Involved in solar and contracting for years, Fitchett saw the need for a company that understood green building practices, thermal energy and high efficiency. “Every joint is caulked and sealed, there are no air leaks and there’s foam insulation throughout the whole house.” “SIPs are the best method to insulate your home,” says our builder Cory Fitchett, construction manager at Old Dominion Innovations, Inc.
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